Chapter 10 #2
“This would be a great place for them.” She sighed. “Chaos, but I hope we can someday go back to assuming old friends just want to reconnect, not betray us to the CPS. Buying a new set of permanent identities and running again would totally tank.”
“Yeah, it would. I don’t hold it against them, though.
The CPS can exert tremendous pressure when it wants something.
” He lifted the dark-furred kitten to gently wipe its butt, like the mother cat would have done, then put it in the heated nesting crate to his right.
“I’m glad the sanctuary asks for background checks on all new residents, regardless.
Some people shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near animals. ”
“Like Bhayrip.” It still outraged her that their asshole former captain would have killed Rylando’s team out of spite. She hoped his next post made him the local commanding officer over the bots on a hazardous landfill moon.
“What else did Hatya say?” The snowy-white kitten squawked and squirmed when he lifted it from his lap.
“She misses Moyo.” Taz glanced down at Shen, still standing by her side. “I was thinking maybe you could source a trained military dog for her like Shen. Someone to travel the galaxy with her. A Jumper might be too proud to accept help from people, but I bet she would from a dog.”
His eyes crinkled as a smile widened his face. “What a great idea.” He deftly wiped the white kitten’s butt and put it in the nest. “I don’t know how she got the CPS to pay out our supposed debts so fast, or we’d still be staying in the sanctuary’s guest suite. We owe her.”
“That we do. Let’s see, what else? Oh, yeah, she found out why that jerk Po wanted to blow up the galactic node data center on Perlarossa.
Turns out they’d already secretly destroyed all the others across the planet.
Some twist about deleting the last authoritative archive of land ownership records so his family could scam a bigger percentage of the RSI settlement.
And Stramlo wasn’t as innocent as he claimed.
He sold Po the explosives and the instructions.
Po wanted insurance, so he kidnapped Stramlo and Jhidelle.
Even with the scans and Kem-X packet I saved as evidence, Po’s family matriarch got him and the bodyguard acquitted.
Stramlo got sentenced for indenture, but he disappeared himself and his bank accounts, abandoning Jhidelle.
I guess he’d already showed her how little he valued her when he let Po shove her out of your airsled to lighten the load. ”
“Still a rough ride for a kid.” Rylando frowned. “I hope she finds a better family of her own.”
“She’s smart and resilient. She’ll be okay. Besides, she’ll inherit Stramlo’s fraction of the RSI settlement, plus an extra decimal for her part in saving the planet’s last node. I’m glad our last mission had no casualties.”
“I can’t say I’m missing the rescue business these days.” He put the last kitten in the box.
“You and me both. I like that the only disasters we have to respond to now are when the cats tease Moyo into chasing them across the furniture.” She waved toward the wall’s clock display.
“Do you have time for us to try breakfast? Or should I grab something for me and Shen at the community kitchen?”
He set the milk pouch aside, then rose to his feet. “I’ve got rounds this morning. Let’s save our science experiments for the evening meal.”
Neither of them knew anything about cooking, but they were having fun learning. In the win column, they hadn’t yet set the house on fire.
She laughed. “Deal.” Crossing to him, she plied him with a lingering kiss so she’d remember the taste of him for hours. “Love you.”
His arms tightened in a momentary bear hug, then freed her. “Love you, too. Take your flitter. It’s warmer.”
At the door, Shen vocalized a soft yip.
Taz laughed. “Coming, Captain Shen. You’re a much better captain than we had before.”
Rylando watched the love of his life leave the room, suppressing the urge to follow her just like Shen.
He had an advantage in that as long as he was physically close enough to the dog, he could find out how Taz was doing without having to ping her more than once or twice a day.
If he pinged her as often as he thought about her, she’d never get anything done.
He’d used up all his luck for a lifetime when she’d agreed to give up her career and bind her star with his. With each new passing day, he was discovering how deep her compassion went. Probably what made her so good with people. Made her so good for him.
He wanted—no, needed—to be as good for her.
Share his feelings with her, not just with the animals.
Talk to her. Tell her how much he admired and appreciated her.
Build a strong family together, since her own biological relatives had pushed her out the airlock for the unforgivable sin of being a minder.
“Mealtime,” he announced, and sent a brief nudge to the daylight-active animals.
He’d kept his unusual team together for now, but he knew it would change with time and looked forward to it.
After one more check on the kittens, he crossed to the room’s food prep station and began pulling out containers.
Thanks to Hatya’s crafty efforts, he and Taz both ended up with more funds than they’d anticipated.
The room addition had been his idea, and Taz had readily agreed.
She handled all the details that would have driven him to distraction.
He was learning to be more careful in what he asked for because she loved making things happen for him.
He never wanted to take advantage of her.
Taking a veterinary behaviorist job with the sanctuary and living in a private nature preserve settled his restlessness, but had the opposite effect on Taz.
Complaining wasn’t her style, but he noticed how much she looked forward to working with people, or even just socializing.
Since she’d given up everything— even her customized GSAR mech-suit— to disappear quietly into the countryside with him, the least he could do was go with her on more trips to the city.
Besides, during their first visit a couple of ten-days ago to try out her newly acquired flitter, she’d followed her sharp ears to the alley that had six orphaned kittens, so cities had good things, too.
If he was honest, Moyo the soft-hearted hellhound needed more interaction with people, too. She’d make a fantastic therapy dog for rehab treatment centers.
He couldn’t give up Moyo right away, though.
Her comforting love and protectiveness had done wonders for the residual post-stress trauma that afflicted Taz and him both.
His nightmares had mostly faded, and only really loud unexpected sounds triggered Taz’s hypervigilance response.
Since they couldn’t trust unknown minder specialists to be mucking about in their heads, they’d have to use Moyo’s brand of therapy for a while longer.
Better their unorthodox treatment method than hoping for the nonexistent mercies of the CPS.
Two cats materialized on the countertop as if by teleportation. Devious Deimos had learned to broadcast hunger pangs to him as she paced with excitement. Punctilious Phobos sat and hurriedly licked his foreleg in an emergency grooming session.
After Rylando pushed a bowl in front of each cat, he set bowls in front of Moyo and Lerox, then set the mix of vegetables and protein cubes in front of Otak’s den. The rat liked to nibble throughout the day rather than inhale it. He’d feed the snoozing owl later that day around sunset.
When his veterinary rounds were done for the morning, he planned to take Moyo and Lerox out for a ramble near the start of the red-colored canyons. The river that fed his beloved lake came from there. Hellhounds liked the exercise, and exploration was in the big weasel’s DNA. Maybe his, too.
Then he’d have the luxury of a whole evening with Taz. He looked forward to it. Every hour they spent together strengthened their heart connection. No life was perfect, but theirs was damned close.
He couldn’t wait to see what their future together would bring.